Air pollution is a familiar topic to many of us. But isn’t air pollution something that happens outside our home ?
Not necessarily.
Indoor pollutants are just as common and dangerous as those pollutants found outside your home. Your home should be an oasis from the world outside. A place that is both safe and secure. This article defines what indoor air quality (IAQ) is, lists some of the more commonly found indoor pollutants and offers steps you can take to reduce or eliminate these harmful substances and increase the quality of your homes indoor air.
Common Sources of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Various sources are responsible for indoor air pollution due to the gases and particles they release. Pollution levels can increase if ventilation in your home is inadequate. It is imperative that you allow enough fresh air into your home to dilute indoor emissions and carry pollutants outside.
Humidity levels and high temperatures can also escalate concentrations of some pollutants.
There are a multitude of source of indoor air pollution in any home. Most of us are familiar with the more common offenders such as air fresheners, pesticides, cleaning agents and asbestos that might be hiding in older insulation but did you know that new carpet can emit harmful vapors into your home’s air and broken florescent lights can release tiny amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin. It is difficult to remove mercury from your home as vacuums should not be used to lift mercury and carpets cannot be fully cleaned of it.
Another common offender of indoor air pollutants is improperly adjusted appliances such a gas stoves, and furnaces. Poorly installed or maintained appliances can emit significantly more carbon monoxide than an appliance that has been properly installed maintained and adjusted.